Cavs vs. Knicks: New York Hits on All Cylinders with Jeremy Lin, Steve Novak
The New York Knicks proved tonight that they do not need to rely solely on Jeremy Lin to win games.
New York put together their best team effort of the year with their 120-103 comeback victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks were trailing the Cavs by 17 points at one point on Wednesday night. New York trailed 61-49 at halftime, but rallied in the third quarter, outscoring Cleveland 33-19 in the quarter.
The Knicks owned the fourth quarter, as they made big plays on both sides of the ball. Madison Square Garden was especially ignited by one big pass from Baron Davis to J.R. Smith for a reverse alley-oop.
Steve Novak received a standing ovation when he came off the court with more than five minutes left in the game. Novak was a huge part of the Knicks' comeback, hitting five out of six three-point shots in the second half.
When he was taken off the court the crowd chanted, "We want Novak!" He finished with 17 points in the game.
Iman Shumpert returned to action with a ton of energy after missing time before the break. He had three steals and 12 points. His final points came when Lin hit him with a baseball-like pass across the court for an alley-oop with a minute left in the game.
Carmelo Anthony had a good night, leading the team in points with 22. Tyson Chandler also added 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Although it was not all about Lin, he still managed to have a very good night, scoring 19 points and adding 13 assists. He also only turned the ball over one time.
The Knicks made a big stand in the first game of the second half of the season, proving to the league that they are capable of playing a team-oriented game.
It looks like the practice time the Knicks received from the All-Star break has proven to be valuable for them. They committed a season-low eight turnovers and had 30 assists.
The Knicks are playing as a team and looking great while doing so.
New York is now 18-18 and take on the Celtics Sunday in Boston.
